Digestive Health

To prepare for a Bravo PH study, you need to stop medications that block stomach acid and have no food after midnight. The test lasts 48 or 96 hours depending on the doctor's preference. What is a Bravo PH? The Bravo PH study is a wireless way to assess and monitor...

To prepare for an upper endoscopy, you need to stop solid food for eight hours or more. You may need to stop blood thinners up to 7 days before the test. You can take your essential medications like those for blood pressure the morning of your test. What is an upper...

Are probiotics bad in any way? Millions of people use probiotics. They are everywhere. Drug stores and marts are filled with different brands of probiotics. Many assumed they are only beneficial and have no downside. In a recent study by Rao et al in Clinical...

Bloating is a sensation of increased abdominal pressure with or without visible abdominal distention. Feeling distended is common. It affects 16% to 19% of people. Only half the people that complain of bloating actually have abdominal distention when examined by a...

The gastroparesis diet is recommended for patients with gastroparesis (slow stomach). What is gastroparesis? Gastroparesis is a low stomach. It is delayed gastric emptying in the absence of a mechanical obstruction. What causes gastroparesis? Idiopathic-unknown cause....

For some patients with chronic constipation, nothing helps. These patients have had constipation for years. They have done blood tests, CT scans, and colonoscopy. Many have done motility testing and anorectal manometry. Some can go for a week or more without a bowel...

Anemia affects a lot of people. One-quarter of the world's population have anemia. More than 3 million Americans have anemia. The most common form of anemia is iron deficiency anemia. This is anemia caused by lack of enough iron. Iron deficiency anemia is bad. It can...

Blood in stool can be a sign of a life threatening disease like cancer or a vexing but benign condition like hemorrhoid. Blood in the stool can be visible or invisible. When it is visible, it can be black and tarry (melena), burgundy (maroon) or bright red. When it is...